Portable Aircons

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New Member

I have checked the forum and there is 2 posts on this, 2008 and 2015
now technology 'hopefully' has gone some what... in that breath - does any one have any recommendations for portable air cons?

- Cant install a split unit, still renting

I have had some mixed reviews, i will go as big as i can 12 000 or 14 000 BTU, is there any model or brand that i need to consider?
I know people are not in any case fans of these types of aircons, but i need to buy one now... this CPT heat at night is killing me.
and a fan is not an option as i have 2 blowing and all the windows open.
Mosquitoes love me....

any recommendations or experiences?
i am looking at this one from Makro
ELEGANCE 14000BTU Portable Aircon

Executive Member

The problem with the portable aircon is venting that heat without allowing more heat to enter, which means either making a hole in a window and allowing that exhaust to exit neatly or struggling with hoses, window frames and sealing that off nicely.

The heat is killing me aswell, I am quite frankly SICK OF IT
Quote I got was R8500 to install a nice powerful unti in the bedroom, so still busy sorting that out as I feel the price is a bit high.

Its not an inverter... that's the issue. I also don't really care because.. I feel eff-all for Eskom, and I've been paying high electricity prices before. You cannot put a sum on comfort and being able to sleep a decent night's rest. As long as it makes plenty cold 24/7 I am happy.

I have played around with a few, the one brand that GAME sells, its a small white unit, LOGIK I think, that thing packs a punch. All the others, either don't make very cold, or like the DEFY unit, don't work properly.

Honorary Master

Don't forget a 2nd hole for your water pipe.
My portable 12 000 BTU Alliance AAP12N1 here at work pumps out a litre per hour.
Tomato tree outside loves my aircon
Keep your exhaust pipe as short as possible, mine is just over a metre and it gets bloody hot. Almost defeats the purpose of having an air con. Will pimp it and mod it when we move into our new building in a few months time

Active Member

As noted, type of windows will determine how easy you can accommodate the hot "exhaust gasses. Bought a LOGIK to deal with the heat in Stellenbosch. Found it quite noisy as all the workings are with you in the room instead of on the other side of the wall.
(The LOGIK does not have a water outlet)

New Member

I am definitely looking at a 12 or 14k BTU device - will see what extra paraphernalia the unit has when i get one...
the noise is definitely a factor for me.
i want mobility as well, but ill settle for something that can chill my duplex house (renting) on top, the bottom is cool enough

So that raises the question again, which model is the best and does the more expensive ones justify their price?

Senior Member

We have the Elegance 14000 BTU also from Makro. Blows cool enough air to cool our room down but that exhaust pipe got really hot so it started to heat the room up at the same time. We had to have the unit blowing the cold air in our general direction to cool us down. We were also renting so had to get a portable unit.

Issue we had was the pipe had to be almost fully extended to vent the hot air out of the window as the window was higher than the unit itself. We have moved this year but have not used it again yet. If you get it make a plan with the exhaust pipe and keep it as short as possible.

Senior Member

I also have the Alliance Portable one. Works great but i highly reccomend you buy a humidifier as well especially if you plan to leave the aircon on all night. Does dry you out like most aircons so you may wake up cool but with a headache. They are noisy but with sleep mode on they maintain a constant noise your brain will tune out so you can sleep.

Senior Member

The Elegance is also a bit noisy but the noise it made didnt bother us. Ask Makro if they have a demo unit and if they can put it on so that you cant judge its noise levels yourself because whats not noisy for us could be noisy for you.

Expert Member

I would recommend you install a split unit and take it out when you leave. They require only small holes these days to be installed. I also thought a portable is nice, but man... When it's humid (and you really need it), 3~4 hours and the water tank is full. It makes a hell of a noise (since all the parts are inside), and while it does cool down a room it's nowhere near as good as a split unit. To boot, it constantly draws in air from outside the room (due to the way it works) and it's nowhere near efficient enough.

I would rather spend a few grand more and install a split unit, really. And I'm also renting - chat to your landlord, maybe he's not such a dick and he'll allow it.

Expert Member

PS: To clarfiy, if the water tank is full, you have to carry that 30kg machine somewhere it can be drained. That means detaching the pipe, unplugging it and either taking it to an open door or somewhere where the water can run out or you have to pick it up to put it in the shower or tub to run dry. It doesn't sound so bad, but try doing that at 1 AM when you're half- asleep and hot as hell. It's not ayoba.

Executive Member

I would recommend you install a split unit and take it out when you leave. They require only small holes these days to be installed. I also thought a portable is nice, but man... When it's humid (and you really need it), 3~4 hours and the water tank is full. It makes a hell of a noise (since all the parts are inside), and while it does cool down a room it's nowhere near as good as a split unit. To boot, it constantly draws in air from outside the room (due to the way it works) and it's nowhere near efficient enough.

I would rather spend a few grand more and install a split unit, really. And I'm also renting - chat to your landlord, maybe he's not such a dick and he'll allow it.

If it's humid, these make the humidity worse, meaning you feel hotter than you are because sweat isn't evaporating. I would rather get a decent dehumidifier and a fan than an evaporative cooler. They only work in really, really dry areas.

New Member

We currently in a duplex... so i suspect its going to be more expensive to install in the top story - if even possible...
i dont want to spend R10k now... dont even want to spend the R5k+-
we want to buy the end of the year so $ is tight
Ill admit the split units does sound good but i need a cheaper solution unfortunately ...but these portable are beginning to sound like a lot of effort for a lot of money and little result

I was hoping to hear about a brand or model that works legit...
the heat was horrible last night again... its really killing me - at 2pm i would have paid any money for any air conditioner.